Zeb Snyder with Appalachian Road Show (5/23/26) – photo © G. Nicholas Hancock
Tony Rice Memorial Day MusicFest 2026 is history, and even though weather conditions were less than ideal, the music, fellowship, and gratitude were in abundance. Great sets were offered by some of the best in bluegrass including the Dan Tyminski Band, The Appalachian Road Show, and a tribute to the legendary band, Mountain Heart. Skies remained gray and temps were cool, but attendees were grateful for the much-needed rain and a chance to congregate on the historic grounds of the Blue Grass Park in Camp Springs, NC.
Camp Springs was the site of the first North Carolina bluegrass festival in 1969, where the movie, Bluegrass Country Soul, was filmed in 1971. All the first generation greats performed there for years, but when nothing was held for decades, the grounds fell dormant and grew into a forest. In 2019, Cody and Donna Johnson, after long hours of hard labor, reopened the legendary park to the joy of the bluegrass community. Cody was honored as Promoter of the Year at SPGMA in 2023.
Cindy Baucom of Knee-Deep in Bluegrass served as MC and launched each day by singing the National Anthem. Jackson Bethune Music LLC provided excellent audio, and several vendors offered their wares, including Ami Ricci with Bluegrass Road Trip.
Headin’ Home, the Lindbloom family from Georgia, performed sets on Friday and Saturday afternoon. Cindy Baucom took special note when they picked Knee Deep in Bluegrass, a hard-driving banjo instrumental written by her late husband, Terry Baucom. Tobacco Road, a newly formed North Carolina-based band of seasoned musicians, did a great job on multiple Alison Krauss numbers.
“We’re basically an Adam Steffey cover band,” joked their bassist, Joe Hannabach.
Each day the artists paid homage to the late Tony Rice, whose musical career launched at Camp Springs in the ’70s. On Saturday, Shannon Slaughter expressed his awe of the historic festival grounds and the impact of Rice on his playing.
“It’s an awesome honor to play here. This is hallowed halls of bluegrass history. This is like the Grand Ole Opry of bluegrass music. Tony Rice is the reason I’m playing. Period. I’m so thankful he was a part of my musical memories growing up. I was fourteen years old when I bought the Skaggs & Rice record. This was the seminal song in my life that caused me to really fall in love with Tony Rice and his music. It’s called The Old Crossroads.”
The final performances of the festival were extremely entertaining, with a Mountain Heart Tribute and the finale by the Dan Tyminski Band. Mountain Heart was a bluegrass band formed in 1998. Two of the founding members, Barry Abernathy, banjoist, and Jim VanCleve, fiddler, were present for the tribute. Joining them was a later member, Aaron Ramsey on mandolin.
The set was billed as a tribute rather than a reunion due to the passing of three members who died far too young. Alan Perdue, original Mountain Heart mandolinist, died in 2019 from cirrhosis of the liver at 49. Founding lead vocalist, Steve Gulley, passed away at 57 in 2020 from pancreatic cancer. Dustin Pyrtle (a Quicksilver and IIIrd Tyme Out alum) stepped up to sing Gulley’s parts. One particularly touching tune that he sang was one penned and originally recorded by Gulley, Scars in His Hands.
Bassist for the evening was Josh Berry who provided rock-solid rhythm. Jason Moore, long time Mountain Heart bassist passed away suddenly in 2021 from a heart attack. He was only 47. Providing support was Zeb Snyder of Appalachian Road Show doing all the fast and furious guitar work originally done by Clay Jones.
They opened with a bang performing I’m Just Here to a Ride the Train, and followed it with favorites such as God and Everybody, Mountain Man, and #6 Barn Dance.
Abernathy shared their history from stage.
“We are paying a tribute to a band that Jim, Aaron, and myself were in for many, many years. Jim and I were in there for almost 17 years. Aaron was there 12 years. We started the band with Alan Perdue, Johnny Dowdle, and Steve Gulley. After about a year, Johnny moved on and Jason Moore came in and was there most of the 17 years I was there. A great friend… he passed on. Steve passed on and Alan passed on.”
Then the Dan Tyminski Band commanded the stage. With the damp, cool weather, attendees were sparse, hunkering down in their campers, until Tyminski hit the stage. Suddenly, the hillside filled with an energetic crowd, excited to hear the original Soggy Bottom Boy.
Tyminski, the voice behind George Clooney’s Man of Constant Sorrow in the film, Oh, Brother Where Art Thou, noted that the movie is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Before launching into his biggest hit, he petitioned the audience, “On a day like today, do we have any soggy bottoms in the house?”
Tyminski also performed a variety of his well known numbers from past and present including Who’s Shoulder Will You Cry On, Carry Me Across the Mountain, GOAT, and Hey, Brother.
The crowd was also extremely responsive to their hometown hero, Nathan Aldridge, Tyminski’s fiddler. Nathan, on the day before his 27th birthday, sawed his heart out on a rousing version of Cheyenne, and a high-energy rendition of Katy Hill.
Promoter Cody Johnson reflected on the weekend.
“We appreciate the support from our bluegrass family again this year. The weather wasn’t perfect, but a good time was had by all. Thanks to all the bands who were awesome and to Cindy Baucom and Jackson Bethune Music for excellent emcee and sound.”
On Friday night, Johnson took the mic and shared the lineup for his next festival on Labor Day weekend, September 3-5. Bands performing include Authentic Unlimited, The Grascals, the Lonesome River Band, The Kody Norris Show, and Little Roy & Lizzy. Three-Day Advanced tickets are just $100 if ordered before August 1.
To order tickets, visit Camp Springs online or call 336-213-1944.
